Community of Barra Longa receives the new Manoel Lino Mol Square

Action is part of the process dedicated to the reconstruction of the areas impacted by the collapse of the Fundão dam

Last Sunday (10/30), the Manoel Lino Mol Square and the Beiro Rio Promenade, downtown Barra Longa (MG), were opened to the population and reintegrated to the daily routine of the residents. With the completion of the recovery works the location was transformed into a multifunctional space, with equipments that allow it to be used for interaction, socializing, leisure, physical activities and sport, fostering the integration of the local population and a suitable destiny of the public space.

OPENING EVENT

Over 2 thousand people came to the inauguration ceremony on the Manoel Lino Mol Square and the Beira Rio Promenade. The ceremony began with a blessing and a religious service. Present at the inauguration of the square were the CEO of Samarco, Roberto Carvalho, and the CEO of the Renova Foundation, Roberto Waack, as well as the Director responsible for the projects and restoration, Maury de Souza Júnior, the Manager responsible for the infrastructure and coordination of the construction works, Claudio Siqueira, and the vice-mayor, João Bosco. The children of the community also participated to the event, representing the future generations.

“I would like to thank and acknowledge the work accomplished by Samarco so far and say that the company has shown great commitment – human and financial – to carry out the emergency actions, the reparation and reconstruction of the areas impacted by the collapse of the Fundão dam. The Renova Foundation takes the field as the institute responsible for the continuation of the works and I wish that the people have the confidence that the actions will be continued and accomplished”, said the CEO of the Renova Foundation, Roberto Waack.

Moreover, two videos, a scale model of the project and images of the reconstruction were shown. Representatives of social groups of the town were invited to plant saplings of Ipê trees and fruit trees at the square and Beira Rio Promenade. In procession, the residents moved from the promenade to the square, in the company of the music groups from União Nossa Senhora do Campo e São José.

There also was an exposition of local arts and crafts, the tasting of grocery products, sweets and cheeses, artistic local talent shows, capoeira, marujada percussion, storytelling and workshops with recyclable products. The activities were also held on the square and on the deck, which, together with the fitness equipment and playground, are part of the new spaces.

During the program, those who brought their pets for a walk on the square received bags for collecting the feces, in an action to educate and create awareness about the place. At the end of the day, the residents attended a concert of the singer-songwriter and guitar player from the state Minas Gerais, Chico Lobo.

RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS

The recovery of the square and the promenade, impacted by the collapse of the Fundão dam, is relevant not only for resuming the physical structure of the surroundings, but also for its historical significance. In order to reflect the wishes of the residents and local authorities, a plan was developed for consulting the population, called “The Square that we would like”, which invited the population, including merchants and representatives of local authorities, to participate in the formulation of the project of the new space.

The community expressed the wish for the architectonical project to preserve the identity of the square and to include equipments for promoting the interaction of people of different age groups, as well as to count with a space for practicing physical exercise in a surrounding that treasures natural elements.

The result was a project that fosters human contact, with adaptations to accessibility. The new square received over 100 trees, saplings of decorative plants and has LED illumination, benches and a deck made out of ecoblock, a kind of “wooden plastic” produced from transformed plastic residues and industrial fibers. The Beira Rio Promenade has been entirely paved with blocks partially composed of residues and received equipment like an open air fitness center, playground and walking lane.